Chapter 342: Owner of the Legendary Body
Read more at Nineheavens.org
The figure hidden in darkness soon spoke with a smile.
“Looking at it, what do you think?”
It was a low question thrown toward the rear.
In that direction, another figure stood quietly.
“Though the distance is far… it’s definitely felt. That his strong martial force is beyond the rumors.”
At that, the figure in front nodded.
“Indeed. It’s martial prowess reminiscent of a hegemon of a generation.”
“It’s truly splendid striking, thrusting, blocking, and slashing. A textbook of tyrannical sword path that perfectly executes offense and defense. The palm techniques and fist techniques executed with his left hand are likewise… if viewed up close, it would be even more impressive. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it near-omnipotent martial ability. Were Shaolin Temple’s abbot or Wudang Sect’s sect leader like this in their youth?”
“A generous assessment. Well… anyway, it was good that we didn’t meet directly and hid here to watch instead.”
“Yes, as a result, the Pavilion Master’s judgment in preparing for the appearance of variable existences was correct.”
“Of course. Caution is necessary in all matters. Given the nature of this task. That fellow will be an obstacle to our Pavilion’s future path.”
“By the way, seeing their state makes me feel a bit sorry for them. They waited with their necks craned for us to appear, only to depart for the afterlife…”
Though he said that, his lips were actually holding back laughter.
It was an expression showing traces of cold-heartedness.
The figure standing ahead also still hadn’t erased his smile.
“What can be done? If that is their fate, they must accept it. They were a group to be used and discarded anyway.”
“Correct. They were consumables for the purpose of achieving the Pavilion Master’s objectives.”
“Thanks to those fellows, we confirmed Son Ja-ryong’s power. That’s enough. Hooho…”
The figure called Pavilion Master withdrew his gaze while sneering thus.
His face, dimly illuminated by moonlight filtering into the darkness, appeared to be in his forties.
His appearance was extremely cold.
Everything – eyes, nose, mouth, even his beard – had a knife-sharp feeling.
However, it wasn’t merely cold.
A boulder-like heavy majesty was contained in his eyes.
It was an eye light that seemed to swirl with oppressive power.
His gaze taught it.
That this was an intangible aura that only a strong person could exude…
His attire was also extraordinary.
A splendid gray long robe with a giant sword embroidered on its front.
He was clearly someone who boasted high martial prowess and status.
People who knew him all called him this.
Lake-Emerging Martial Patriarch.
His name was Yan Po-Wook, and he was a warrior of the Unorthodox martial circles who had pacified the entire Lake Soho area in the Anhui region, as well as the first Pavilion Master of Thousand White Sword Pavilion.
Furthermore.
He was also an ultra-first-rate swordsman evaluated as the strongest among Anhui’s Three High Excellence.
“Hoot, watching makes my hands itch, but… we must move again now. Is the personnel check complete?”
At Lake-Emerging Martial Patriarch Yan Po-Wook’s words, the figure behind responded.
“I just finished and am on my way back. Everyone is waiting there for the movement order.”
The man who appeared to be in his mid-to-late thirties was Cha Hoeng, a head figure of Thousand White Sword Pavilion’s leadership.
He was an upper-tier swordsman within the Anhui region whose individual martial force was said to rival the Anhui’s Three High Excellence tier, and his epithet was Heated Battle Sword Ghost.
Cha Hoeng was famous for enjoying fierce sword fights.
That was how he had obtained such an epithet.
It wasn’t just him.
The majority of Thousand White Sword Pavilion’s members had strongly belligerent tendencies.
Given that Lake-Emerging Martial Patriarch Yan Po-Wook, who held such a place in his grip, had such a combative temperament, there was nothing more to say.
His just-spoken words about his hands itching had been sincere.
However, he had to endure.
For now, securing the Divine Martial Sword was the top priority objective.
Yan Po-Wook, having forcibly suppressed his competitive spirit toward Son Ja-ryong, issued a command.
“We must overtake the Son family fellow to have the advantage. Come, let’s hurry on. Order immediate movement.”
“Yes, understood. Ah, also…”
Heated Battle Sword Ghost Cha Hoeng trailed off and gauged the mood.
“What is it?”
“When we meet Gate Leader Ji, how do you plan to handle it?”
At that question, Yan Po-Wook’s expression turned cold.
“Indeed… that fellow is also no pushover like Son Ja-ryong.”
The Gate Leader Ji just mentioned was Chopping Wave Saber Tiger Ji Jang-jong, the current Gate Leader of Nine Tiger Blade Gang.
The strongest Unorthodox in the Jiangxi region, acknowledged by all.
He too, along with Murong Family Head Thrusting Sword Elegant Scholar Murong Kang who had taken the pinnacle position among Five Elegants of Jiangxi, was targeting the Divine Martial Sword and had come to the Shiwan Mountains.
Yan Po-Wook and his Thousand White Sword Pavilion personnel had already heard the rumors.
“I must repay an old debt.”
Killing intent seeped into Yan Po-Wook’s voice as he said that.
In his youth, he had once fought a martial bout with Chopping Wave Saber Tiger Ji Jang-jong and drew.
The old debt was that.
Since then, there had been no opportunity to face Ji Jang-jong.
In truth, it had been an evenly matched battle difficult to determine superiority.
Their exchange had even reached one hundred moves.
However, Yan Po-Wook wasn’t satisfied with the draw result.
So he had always considered it a debt that must be repaid.
But he didn’t lose his cool judgment.
“However… I’ll endure until we secure the Divine Martial Sword. If possible, we must win that fellow over as well.”
“He won’t accept easily. But he’ll pretend to accept with lies.”
“If we end up meeting him here, I’ll personally bring up the talk. Let’s depart.”
“Yes.”
Those two people swiftly moved in that direction and disappeared from sight.
At the same time, Jo Jung-hyeop was seized by extreme terror.
‘Th-this is… not a normal fight!’
It was truly a scene that couldn’t be called a fight.
A one-sided slaughter.
That’s right.
It was a hellscape where the concept of a fight couldn’t be established.
Little Sword King Son Ja-ryong was the apex predator here.
He was no different from a tiger that had leaped among dogs, baring its teeth and swinging its claws.
UDEUDUK- PUHAAK…!
A martial artist spurted blood from Son Ja-ryong’s left fist strike.
“Kkeo…”
It was Hunting Blade Dog Jeom-gan’s younger brother, Hunting Blade Rat Jeom-gin, an Unorthodox master within the Henan region.
He had momentarily forgotten the terror in his heart at his brother’s death and fiercely lunged.
Thus, he exchanged about five or six moves while operating peak internal power.
But he took a terrifying fist strike dead-on.
He, whose chest bones were entirely crushed, followed his brother to the afterlife.
Immediately after.
SSYANG!
The sound of cutting through wind was heard.
Son Ja-ryong’s formidable sword attack.
It was a sound bursting out at extreme speed.
The moment the sound was heard, another person scattered bright red blood and collapsed to the ground.
TEOLPPEODAK-
It was Chae-sang, an Unorthodox master who had followed with the same purpose as the Jeom-gan and Jeom-gin brothers.
SYUKAK- SYUKAAK-!
By the Dragon Throne Sword, which was soon swung fiercely, the five remaining personnel of the Brandished Sword Pavilion, Ashen Heart Sect, Red Leopard Hall, Shaking Martial Hall, and the Lone Moon Sword Sect also met gruesome deaths.
Some had their necks, some their arms, and yet others their waists cleanly severed…
Bright Moon Sword Sect’s five elite swordsmen lost their will to fight.
Their gate master Full Moon Sword Master Mo-dong had long since been sent flying far away, and Moon Gleam Sword Wu Yong had also died along with his comrades.
They just wanted to run away.
However, there were still eyes watching, so they couldn’t carelessly withdraw.
All they could do was support their gate master Mo-dong and help him stand again.
Amid blood scent vibrating in all directions, four more people died instantly.
PUHAK, PUHAAK…
Six Righteousness Gate’s martial artists.
The crescent-shaped sword energy that the Dragon Throne Sword spat out had mercilessly severed the bodies of those personnel.
At that moment, Six Righteousness Gate’s rising talent Iron Brush Young Master Wan Ryeom desperately shouted.
“S-stop! Do you think you’ll be safe after this? The person who gathered us in one place… keokeok!”
He couldn’t finish his words.
PUHAAAAK- TEOLPPEODAK!
Because Son Ja-ryong, having closed the distance like lightning, had pierced straight through his upper body’s center with the Dragon Throne Sword.
“Whoever it is, I don’t care to know.”
Son Ja-ryong, having spoken coldly and decisively, moved his sword.
SYUAAAT!
The Dragon Throne Sword’s massive sword energy flew through the air.
The air trembled and the ground was destroyed by the fearsome sword force.
KWAKWAKWAKWANG…!
With that heavy roar, Six Righteousness Gate’s remaining personnel disappeared without a trace.
All that remained in that spot were finely torn flesh, bone fragments, and blood.
Now, Six Righteousness Gate’s only survivor was Gate Master Complete Flourishing Character Wan-gye.
Enraged by his son’s death, he charged out.
The delicate and elaborate techniques unique to Six Righteousness Gate sword studies – like wielding a brush – were unleashed with peak internal power fully loaded.
CHAENG, CHAECHAENG, CHAENG-!
He managed to exchange about six or seven moves.
But that gorgeous technique was ultimately blocked before overwhelming and tyrannical sword force.
KKWANG- PEOHEOENG!
Large heat haze spread.
“Euak!”
Wan-gye, having let out a pointed scream, was thrust into the ground behind.
Following that.
UDUDEUK, UDUK-!
Before anyone knew it, Son Ja-ryong’s foot, having approached within arm’s reach, powerfully trampled Wan-gye’s neck.
Instant death.
Mo-dong, who had risen with his subordinate’s support, pleaded earnestly while losing face.
“S-Son Family Head… mercy…”
But Son Ja-ryong’s attitude was indifferent.
“If you are a man, speak properly with that sword.”
It was words meaning that alone was the maximum mercy he could grant.
Right at that moment.
HWIRIRIRIK!
Two figures suddenly appeared behind.
SHWIIK, SHWIIIK!
A pair of large scythes flew toward both sides of Son Ja-ryong’s neck.
SSWAEK, SSWAEAEK!
A pair of iron nails flew toward both sides of his waist.
They were the weapons of Twin Scythe Tiger Gyeong-yang and Poison Heart Claw Yi-ro.
But then.
JJEOEOEOEOENG-!
Instead of the sound of skin being sliced, a metallic sound rang out.
Gyeong-yang and Yi-ro were instantly shocked.
‘Oh no!’
‘What is this…!’
On Son Ja-ryong’s entire body, a very thin and solid energy barrier resembling dragon scales had been generated.
It had blocked Gyeong-yang’s twin scythes and Yi-ro’s twin claws.
The two realized belatedly.
‘Dragon Scale Energy!’
It was the Dragon Throne Sword’s unique divine power that protects its owner’s body with a dragon-scale-shaped energy barrier, as if external arts had reached the extreme level.
If one’s internal power level wasn’t higher than Son Ja-ryong’s, breaking through was impossible.
The moment Son Ja-ryong’s Sound Transmission startled the two people as they tried to retreat.
DEOLKEOK!
Heavy intangible force strongly bound their bodies.
At that instant, the Dragon Scale Energy emitted energy light and exploded outward.
BEONJJEOK!
Countless scale-shaped energies poured out fiercely.
CHYACHYACHYACHYOT, CHYACHYACHYACHYOT- TUTUTUTUT, TUTUTUTUT- PEOPEOPEOPEOK, PEOPEOPEOPEOK!
Gyeong-yang and Yi-ro departed the world with holes covering their entire bodies.
Dragon Bullet Energy.
It was another powerful divine power that the Dragon Throne Sword exhibited.
‘Damn it!’
Mo-dong fled with all his might.
He couldn’t die here.
His subordinate swordsmen also turned and ran.
At that moment.
The space ahead changed strangely.
The path that entered their eyes kept receding.
It was a state of staying in place while only their two legs moved busily.
‘Ah! Is it an Illusion Energy Formation?’
The moment Mo-dong’s heart sank with a thud.
SEOGEOEOK, SEOGEOK, SEOGEOEOK…!
The five subordinate swordsmen behind were cut down one after another.
Mo-dong quickly turned his head back and saw Son Ja-ryong trudging toward him.
“Stop showing such an ugly display and go see King Yama.”
Thus, the Dragon Throne Sword’s sharp sword point pierced through Mo-dong’s middle dantian.
PUHAAK!
The death of Mo-dong, who had been the last survivor.
Simultaneously, the phenomenon presumed to be an Illusion Energy Formation disappeared.
SEUK.
One young man quietly appeared.
It was Zhuge Bi, the formation genius who was a descendant of Zhuge Family and Son Ja-ryong’s close friend.
CHEOLKEOK.
Son Ja-ryong, having sheathed the Dragon Throne Sword, smiled gently.
“I could have finished alone.”
“Tsk, I told you not to act alone. Delegate things like reconnaissance to subordinates.”
When Zhuge Bi made a show of frowning, Son Ja-ryong waved his hand and said.
“As a family head, I should lead by example. By the way, did you just set up an illusion formation?”
“What… I just made it with the power residing in my body.”
“Indeed, the mystical application of Heart-Stealing Spirit-Commanding Body…”
Heart-Stealing Spirit-Commanding Body.
A legendary body where one’s physical form itself becomes a supremely powerful formation.
“It’s still incomplete, though.”
“Hoot, even so, it’s reliable.”
“It would be best to stay the night here today.”
At Zhuge Bi’s words, Son Ja-ryong nodded lightly and spun a lit torch around.
It was some kind of signal.
Before long.
CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK…
From far behind, a large-scale contingent approached the ruined castle site, displaying a valiant presence.
Numbering about three hundred, they were Zhejiang Son Family’s elite swordsman unit.
* * *
“Wait.”
Cheol Ryu-heun pulled the reins and stopped Divine Wind.
At that, the Heaven-Piercing Divine Birds following behind also stood firmly in place.
“What’s the matter?”
As Namgung Sang-rin quietly asked.,
-Peopeong…!
A faint sound echoed from beyond the darkness.
Simultaneously, the expressions of Namgung Sang-rin, Hae Su-yeon and the rest of the party completely changed.
‘A fight?’
On the other hand, Gun Mu-ak reacted indifferently.
“Did you sense it too?”
At that, Cheol Ryu-heun nodded and stepped down onto the ground.
“Everyone wait here. I’ll go and come back briefly.”
Having finished speaking, he soon disappeared beyond the darkness like a flash of light.